Barry rushes to the lair in Star City where he informs
Felicity on the Flashpoint experience, much to Felicity’s shock. She advises
him to walk her through the events where he found things to be wrong, and he
explains what happened since he returned.
He begins when he stopped a local motorcycle thief by
dismantling his ride on foot. When he returns to STAR Labs, he finds everyone
except for Wally in a somber mood. When he encourages Cisco to come up with a
nickname for the thief, Cisco dismisses him and leaves with Caitlin following
him. Iris and Joe prepare to leaves as well, though Barry tries to get the two
to talk about their issues. Joe simply leaves without answering as Wally exits
with him, though Wally appears to be the same. Though everyone seems to be
changed, Barry learns from Iris that she still wants to consider their
relationship on a new level, just as she did before he left.
Barry meets up with Joe at the station to ask about his
problem with Iris. Joe reveals that Iris holds a grudge against him for never
telling her that her mother was alive, something she accepted in the previous
timeline. Since this, Joe refuses to bring anything up with Iris, and he
further wonders why Barry wouldn’t know about this. More surprisingly, Barry discovers
another man working in his office, a meta-human CSI specialist named Julian
Albert. Though Julian has been a skillful addition to the precinct for a year,
he acts particularly distasteful of Barry.
In addition to Joe, Barry also discovers Cisco in a grief
counseling session. Listening in, he discovers that Cisco has lost his brother
Dante, revealing the source of his depression. Once Cisco sees Barry, however,
he maintains his cold attitude.
Barry: I've kissed Iris twice and I've managed to erase both times from existence.
Revealing this to Felicity, she questions whether or not Barry
changed more than he knows. Barry quickly searches and finds everything fine
until discovering a picture of John Diggle with his son John Jr. who was
previously his daughter Sara. Despite the circumstances, Felicity encourages
him to figure out how he can fix the situation like he always had.
Meanwhile, Edward Clariss travels Central City continuously
plagued by visions of himself as the Rival and the word ALCHEMY carved on a
wall. Finally, he travels to an underground lair where he finds a figure surrounded
by followers. The figure understands that Clariss wants to stop the visions,
but he offers a chance to return to his life as the Rival. Then, he can regain
his speed and his ideal life.
The next day, Barry, Joe, and Julian travel to the
waterfront where they discover a husk sample. Julian clarifies that this is the
fifth sample found, something Barry did not know. With Julian unwilling to work
with Barry, Barry resorts to sneaking a sample away in order to analyze any
possible meta-human activity in STAR Labs.
At STAR Labs, Caitlin analyzes the husk but finds nothing
abnormal in the sample. However, Cisco continues to avoid Barry. Barry confides
in Caitlin that he discovered Cisco at grief counseling, leading Caitlin to
reveal that Dante was killed in a drunk driving accident months earlier. Barry
encourages her to help, but Caitlin refuses to get involved. Despite this
answer, Barry decides to gather everyone together for a dinner.
Using his speed, Barry races back and forth from the
precinct and Iris’s office to convince Joe and Iris that each has invited the
other to a dinner. With the addition of Caitlin, Cisco, and Wally, Barry hopes
to inspire the team to bond with each other once again. However, the dinner
grows more awkward as Iris discovers that Joe did not tell her about the
growing case, much like he kept the secret of her mother. In their argument,
Cisco finally reveals that he feels anger towards Barry for refusing to go back
in time to save his brother. Suddenly, they are interrupted by the meta-human
app, detecting a speedster on the boardwalk.
When Barry races to the boardwalk, he is surprised to din
Edward Clariss as the Rival facing him. Clariss reveals to Barry that he
remembers everything from the previous timeline and realizes that he was the
one that changed his life. Now, he believes he can return to the life he
wanted. The two race throughout the city until Barry knocks him aside at full
speed. However, Clariss escapes being caught as an unseen man watches them
fight.
Back at STAR Labs, Caitlin analyzes a substance found on the
scene. While she doesn’t find traces of dark matter from the particle
accelerator, she traces elements of the Speed Force. In addition, she discovers
a connection between the husk and the DNA in that they both belong to Edward
Clariss whom Barry already knows. Before Barry can explain, Iris takes him
aside to talk in the hall.
Iris reveals that, through infiltrating street camera, she
watched his confrontation with the Rival and learned that Barry changed something
in the timeline. She argues that unless he tells her truth they cannot hope to
continue their relationship. Barry admits that he changed the timeline but
decides to do something about it for good by going back once again.
As Barry runs through the Speed Force, he is pulled out by
none other than Jay Garrick, the man who watched his battle. Taking him to
Central City 1998, he talks with Barry about his choice to go back in time. Jay
also reveals that Harry filled him in on Barry’s situation in losing his
parents as well as him being a doppelganger of Henry Allen. While he
understands Barry’s reasons for changing the past, he advises against doing it
from his own personal experiences. As a fellow speedster, Jay admits that even
if he were to go back, there will always be consequences that he cannot fix. To
be a true hero, Jay advise Barry to move forward from his mistakes rather than
continuously fixing the past.
Jay: We're not gods. We're men.
Barry returns to STAR Labs and explains the situation behind
the Flashpoint Paradox. From this, the team then learn that their lives were
entirely different, though Edward Clariss managed to regain his powers from a
previous timeline. However, from this explanation, Cisco grows angrier at Barry
for changing the timeline to try and save his parents despite refusing to save
Dante and storms off.
Barry then confronts Cisco in his lab as he constructs
devices for his own powers. Barry admits to trying to save his parents but
emphasizes that going back in time can only make things worse. Cisco refuses to
listen, believing that he would prefer a world with his brother alive, but
Barry continues to apologize, echoing Jay’s words on moving forward in life.
To help with that, Barry looks into Edward Clariss by
requesting file reports from Julian. Though Julien doesn’t want to help Barry,
he gives in when Barry specifically asks for Clariss. The file, however,
reveals that the husk for Clariss likely came from a different location despite
being found on the waterfront. With this location, Barry then tracks down the
Rival. Unfortunately, he also comes face to face with the masked figure.
As Barry continues to fight, Iris defends Barry’s choices,
reminding the others that they have also made poor choices for those they care
about deeply. Caitlin also defends Barry’s choices in keeping his changes a
secret and quickly discovers Barry in trouble through his systems on comms.
Without help from Kid Flash, Barry is helpless against the
figure who calls himself Alchemy. With his abilities, he claims to want to prepare
the world to unlock their true potential. The Rival then destroys Barry’s
comms, preventing him from communicating with the team. Fortunately, the team
can still track his location which is just one block away from the lab. Cisco
then uses his technology to amplify his abilities, and, together, the Flash and
Vibe take down the Rival.
However, no one at STAR Labs can ascertain who the masked
figure, dubbed Dr. Alchemy by Cisco, is as Barry does not even recognize him
from the previous timeline. Even worse, he seems to be able to give powers to
meta-humans who existed in previous timelines, explaining while Clariss didn’t
leave traces of dark matter. With four other husks found, they may have four
additional villains to face. In light of this turn of events, the team also
reveal to Barry that they do not wish to know about their lives before their
change, satisfied in moving forward. With that, Iris agrees to have dinner with
Joe, and Cisco considers the possibility of working with Barry in the field.
Before he leaves, Barry thanks Caitlin for staying onboard, remarking that she
seems to be the only one unchanged from the paradox. Unseen by Barry, however,
is Caitlin’s new cold powers, reminiscent of Killer Frost.
Back at the police station, Julian confronts Barry over the
recent capture of the Rival who was placed in Iron Heights. With the recent
capture by the Flash, Julian wonders why Barry was so curious about Edward
Clariss’s file. Barry insists that there is no connection, but Julian believes
that Barry stole the original sample to find Clariss in the first place. From
this, Julian admits that the reason he does not like Barry is because he does
not trust him.
Barry then meets with Iris on the porch of the West house.
She admits that the dinner with Joe went well, though they have no leftovers
for Barry. He asks how she feels about what’s she learned of the timeline, but
she admits that all she needs to know is that he is Barry and she is Iris.
Knowing that, she believes they will always find each other. They then finally
share a kiss without a reversed timeline.
Meanwhile, at Iron Heights, Clariss hears the voice of Dr.
Alchemy telling him he failed. An arm then reaches out and pulls him down
off-screen.
Flash Notes
- Iris references the time Cisco told Captain Cold's secret identity which occurred in episode 16 "Rogue Time."
- Dr. Alchemy is targeting people who previously had powers in the other timeline. Could this include Wally as well?
- Though Dr. Alchemy spoke with Clariss, a new arm seems to grab at him in the final scene. Could this be Savitar?
- In 1998, the television at the diner plays an episode of Dawson's Creek. Greg Berlanti who works as a writer and producer of The Flash also worked on Dawson's Creek.
Photo Credit: CW/DC
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